STAUNTON HAROLD RESERVOIR TO SUDBURY
A TO Z – DERBYSHIRE AND THE PEAK DISTRICT – CHAPTER 46
STAUNTON HAROLD RESERVOIR (off the B587 Melbourne to Ashby Road – SK378246)
The Old Tower Windmill still stands proudly overlooking Staunton Harold Reservoir. It was built in 1797/8 by the first Lord Melbourne. However, by 1880, it had been abandoned. Unfortunately, access is not available. Built between 1959 and 1964 to supply water to the Leicester area, most of the reservoir is in Derbyshire, but a small part of the southern shore lies over the border in Leicestershire. It now provides opportunities for leisure and conservation activities. Wildflower meadows have been planted alongside the path near the sailing club, and the recently planted woodland is also very much in evidence on the northern side of the path.
STAVELEY (3 miles east of Chesterfield, on the A619 Chesterfield to Worksop Road – SK433745)
Until a few years ago, there were several extensive coalfields around Staveley, but they have now closed. In 1893, the Miners Welfare built an indoor market hall, known as Markham Hall, in memory of the man who played a significant role in the area’s development. The impressive-looking Staveley Hall is to the northeast of St. John the Baptist Church in the town.
STEEPLE GRANGE LIGHT RAILWAY (off the B5035 between B023and B5036 from Wirksworth – SK289555)
Built on a branch line of the former track bed of the old Cromford and High Peak Railway, which is now the High Peak Trail. The ride lasts approximately twenty minutes and passes through what is locally known as Killer’s Dale. The name does not have any sinister implications, but it refers to the former owners of the land who lived in the area. Opened in 1884, the line carried block stone and other quarry products before closing in 1967. The Steeple Grange Light Railway is an 18-inch (450mm) gauge line. It is owned by a company bearing the same name and operated by members of the supporting society. Diesel, battery-electric and petrol locomotives provide the motive power. Passengers are carried in a man rider salvaged from Bevercotes Colliery in Nottinghamshire, initially built for up to sixteen sturdy miners. It is an experience not to be missed.
STONEY MIDDLETON (on the A623 from Chesterfield to Chapel-en-le-Frith – SK755230)
The A623 divides the village in half, with the houses on the eastern side clinging to the hillside where any space can be found. On the other side of the village, the cliffs rise almost vertically, and this is where aspiring mountaineers come to test their skills. Further to the east, the land begins to flatten out a little, but Stoney Middleton must have one of the steepest High Streets in the country. It was the route through the village before the present road along Middleton Dale was opened in 1840.
Lover’s Leap is a prominent limestone cliff that overhangs Middleton Dale. It acquired its name after an incident in 1762, when a young woman by the name of Hannah Baddaley attempted to commit suicide by throwing herself over the cliff. Her lover, William Barnsley, had jilted her, and she had decided to end it all. Miraculously, her billowing petticoats acted like a parachute on the way down, until they were caught in brambles protruding from a ledge. It saved her life, and all she suffered were a few cuts and bruises. However, this story does not have a happy ending: Hannah died two years later of natural causes, still unmarried. The details of this event are recorded on an information board outside the Lover’s Leap Restaurant that marks the location of the leap.
SUDBURY (5 miles west of Uttoxeter, off the A50 (A515) Derby to Stoke-on-Trent Road– SK162320)
A bypass constructed in 1972 has very much reduced traffic flow through this 17th-century village. However, there is still plenty of activity when Sudbury Hall is open to the public. Sudbury is one of the remaining feudal villages in Derbyshire, with red brick cottages and gabled houses lining the main street. The Vernon Arms serves as a reminder of the family who built Sudbury Hall. It was once a staging post for mail coaches. To the north of the village lies a place that most people would rather avoid, the Sudbury Open Prison.
SUDBURY HALL
Sudbury Hall is the former seat of the Vernon family and is now in the hands of the National Trust. It is one of Derbyshire’s finest stately homes, often being featured in films and television dramas. An additional attraction at the Hall is the Museum of Childhood, which showcases a reconstructed Victorian schoolroom and nursery and holds a wonderful collection of old toys and games.
